Song Qinghui disagreed, saying, "Everyone in the village now says you're a fairy and praises Mom for being so fertile. You don't know, Mom smiles from ear to ear whenever she hears the villagers praising you!"
"Yeah?"
Song Lan smiled and shook her head, not taking Song Qinghui's words seriously.
Would I lie to you?
Song Qinghui objected, saying, "If you don't believe me, just walk around the village and pay a little attention. You'll hear plenty of people praising you."
Upon hearing this, Song Lan smiled but did not respond.
It's just a shell; what good is being a fairy? In the end, it will all turn into bones.
When they were about two or three miles away from the forest farm, Song Qinghui asked Song Lan, "Do you want to take a break?"
“I’m not tired. If Second Brother is tired, then let’s stop and rest for a while.”
Song Lan wasn't just putting on a brave face; she genuinely felt nothing. Even her breathing remained even, without any sign of panting.
"Then let's continue. Anyway, it's about three miles to the forest farm from here."
Song Qinghui spoke as he walked.
"Wait, there's a sawing sound over there." Suddenly, Song Lan stopped in her tracks and looked in the direction from which the sawing sound came. "It must be the forestry workers logging there. Second brother, let's go take a look. Maybe my father-in-law is among them."
Song Qinghui naturally agreed. He nodded and followed behind Song Lan as the two walked toward the lumberjacks in blue uniforms.
Before they even got close, Song Lan couldn't help but ask, "Comrade, are you from the forest farm?"
Just as he and his companion were about to carry a sawn tree trunk to a cart not far away, a familiar yet unfamiliar female voice came from behind them. Qin Shuhan couldn't help but call to his companion who was walking in front to wait a moment. He turned around slightly and looked back.
"Lan...Lanlan?"
Is she the eldest daughter-in-law?
Is it her?
It looked similar, yet it gave her a sense of unfamiliarity, just like the feeling he had when he first heard the voice.
In Qin Shuhan's memory, his eldest daughter-in-law always kept her head down and spoke in a soft, delicate voice. But the girl in front of him... she stood two or three steps away from him, as straight as a sapling, with clear and calm eyes and a clear, melodious voice.
However, the girl's eyes instantly turned to surprise. Could it be... could this really be his eldest daughter-in-law?
"Dad! It's me, it's Lanlan!"
Song Lan recognized Qin Shuhan and happily greeted him, confirming her identity.
"Lanlan...you, how did you get here?"
Qin Shuhan slowly came to his senses, his expression softening. He was extremely surprised by Song Lan's appearance.
"It's a long story. I'll tell you in detail when Dad has some free time."
Song Lan smiled and replied to Qin Shuhan. It wasn't that she didn't want to explain the reason now, but a man who clearly looked like the person in charge was standing a few feet away, looking at them with a serious expression. In order to avoid causing trouble for Qin Shuhan, Song Lan did not immediately explain why she was there.
"good."
Qin Shuhan responded and called to his companions to carry the sawn tree trunks toward the cart.
"Second brother, that must be the person in charge. Let's go over and say hello."
As Song Lan spoke, she gestured to Song Qinghui to look in the direction she was looking. Then, she lowered her voice and said, "There are cigarettes in the bag. We'll slip two packs to them later to smooth things over and make sure my father-in-law can have some support here at the forest farm in the future."
Are you sure you want to do this?
Song Qinghui asked in a low voice.
Song Lan gave a soft "hmm," then looked puzzled and asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"Two packs probably won't be enough to get rid of him, unless he's not a bad person at heart, in which case everything will be fine. Otherwise, two packs of cigarettes won't do much good."
It wasn't that Song Qinghui thought too badly of people; it was that he had inadvertently encountered this type of person before—one who held some power and, if someone asked for help, would certainly ask for a huge sum, if not an exorbitant one.
"I understand what you mean."
Song Lan knew exactly what Song Qinghui meant, but she smiled slightly and said, "Based on my observation, that comrade's character should be quite good."
"Alright, Second Brother trusts your judgment in people."
In Song Qinghui's mind, Song Lan was undoubtedly a smart person, and a smart person would not misjudge others. He had no reason to use his limited knowledge to deny his sister's judgment of people.
Thinking of this, Song Qinghui said, "Then let's go and try to get on their good side?"
"Um."
Song Lan nodded almost imperceptibly.
When the two approached the manager Song Lan had mentioned, he looked them over with a reserved gaze for a moment before asking, "Who are you...?"
"Hello, I've come to visit my father-in-law, his name is Qin Shuhan. This is my second brother from my maternal family, who came with me."
With a smile, Song Lan said gracefully, "As the weather turns colder, my mother-in-law recently passed away, and my husband, the eldest son in his family, is unable to travel due to a work-related injury. There's nothing I can do..."
As the eldest daughter-in-law, I can only represent my father-in-law to deliver two warm coats and check on his well-being. After all, only when he's healthy can he contribute more to the country, comrade, wouldn't you agree?
That makes sense.
Cui Huguo was transferred to work at the forest farm. Because he lost an arm in the war against the enemy, the job assigned to him by the forest farm was very simple. His daily work was to accompany the people who were sent to the forest farm for reform to cut down trees. His job was similar to that of a supervisor, to prevent anyone from slacking off and not completing the daily tasks properly.
As Song Lan said, this person's character is absolutely flawless; he can be described as a very upright individual.
Therefore, after listening to what Song Lan said, he did not think negatively and agreed with what Song Lan said. So, he reminded him, "There are still about thirty minutes before lunch break. If you are not in a hurry to go back, you can wait here for a while."
"No rush, no rush."
Song Lan smiled and said, "I came here today specifically to bring clothes to my father-in-law." After saying that, Song Lan and Song Qinghui took a few steps to the side, but she quickly put down the bamboo basket in her hand: "Second brother, you stay here and watch over him, I'm going to help my father-in-law."
"I'll go."
Song Qinghui put down the large and small bags that were strung together with vines on his shoulders and then stepped forward to help Qin Shuhan carry the wood.
"Second brother, you should rest!"
Song Lan didn't want Song Qinghui to make all the sacrifices, even though they were siblings. She was helping her husband's father, and it really had nothing to do with Song Qinghui.
"I'm your second brother. You stay here, I'll go!"
Song Qinghui's tone at this moment left no room for argument.
The steward, Cui Huguo, didn't say anything. He even admired Song Qinghui, the older brother, for knowing how to cherish his younger sister.
Unable to persuade Song Qinghui in the end, Song Lan had no choice but to watch him go and help.
However, Qin Shuhan refused.
But Song Qinghui didn't listen at all. Before Qin Shuhan and his companion could even pick up another piece of wood, Song Qinghui took the lead and carried it away with Qin Shuhan's companion, one in front and one behind.
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